The Leland Town Council and the Leland PD honored Schwenk at Thursday's town council meeting. They gave him the first Medal of Valor from the Leland PD.

Officer Jonathan McGee was also honored at the meeting. McGee applied a tourniquet to Schwenk's leg, which was a critical step in saving Schwenk's life after his femoral artery was damaged.

"You just go into a different mode," McGee said. "You're so focused and you get tunnel vision. Something takes over, your training, what people have taught you."

Chief Mike James spoke highly of both officers. He said the night Schwenk was shot was hectic.

"In 35 years I have never had anybody that's close to me actually be shot in the line of duty," James said. "And the first time being the chief of police where it's one of your guys. So it was a pretty overwhelming feeling trying to get to the scene to assess what was going on, get the SBI there to get their investigation going, and trying to get to the hospital to check on Officer Schwenk."

McGee said he didn't know beforehand about the ceremony or the medal, but that he will remember it forever.

"It means the world to me," McGee said. "I couldn't be more thankful for my chief, the town, everybody. I am probably going to hang this up somewhere and it will always be with me, so I'll always have it."